Car-unloading apparatus.



No. 65l,37l. Patented June I2, 1900. T. LONG.

CAR UNLOADING APPARATUS.

(Application filed May 2, 1895.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

' N0. 65l,37l. Patented l une I2, I900.

T. LONG.

CAR UNLUADING APPARATUS.

' (Applicatiox; flled'may 2, 1895.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

TIMOTHY LONG, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-UNLOADING APPARATUS.

sPEeImeAT'IoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,371, dated June '12, 1900. Application filed May 2, 1895. Serial No. 547,950. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY LONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Unloading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. 4 My invention relates to improvements in car-dumping machinery whereby the car may be elevated toasuitable point and then turned over sufficiently to allow the load of the car to fall into the chute, by which it is delivered into a receptacle designed to receive it.

The invention consists in thenovel features of construction, and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of one of the car-clam ping beams.

A cradle is provided for holding the loaded car. The. essential parts of the cradle are the rings B B at the end of the cradle, (and, if desired, one or more intermediate rings B,) the beamsrO, which connect said rings, and any necessary braces to make thevcradle a rigid structure. As shown, the cradle is in the form of a cylinder, open at its ends to permit the car to pass in and out. It is provided with a discharge-spout S for discharg ing the material dumped into it from the car. The interior of the cylinder is octagonal in form, made so by the beams O, which are secured within the rings B B, a floor 0, side walls 0 and a top 0 which floor, side, and top are preferably made of sheet metal bolted to the transverse beams O and longitudinal beams O. The front side wall is extended out beyond the periphery of the cylinder proper and forms a part of the dischargespont, which under normal conditions stands in a substantially-vertical position. The specific construction of the cradle as shown and described is not important, however, and may be varied at will. 7

Tracks 0 are secured to the floor, and upon them rests the car when in the cradle.

The cradle, with the carin it, is raised and tipped by means of cables connected, arranged, and operated as follows:

D D represent two cables, each of which passes partly around one of the rings B, to which it is secured at a point indicated by F. Each of these cables passes upward from the rear side of ring B, over sheave G on top of the trestle-tower, and thence down to a winding-drum X, uponwhich the cable may be wound up. D D represent other cables. Each is secured to one of the rings B and passes upward from the front side thereof, over the sheave G on top of the front side of the trestle-tower, thence over a sheave G2 on top of the rear side of said tower and thence to a winding-drum X.

If both sets of cables D D and D D are Wound up equally and simultaneously, the cradle will be raised'without being turned. When it has reached the proper elevation, the winding up of the cable D is stopped and the winding up of the cables D D is continued, the result being that the cradle is turned overinto the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The contents of the car are dumped through the 'diseharge-spoutS into the inclined chuteM. This chute is made, preferably,of sheet metal. Its rear endisraised or lowered to the desired level by means of cables U U, which cables are respectively secured to the two rear corners of the chute, from which points they pass upward over the sheaves m m on top of the trestletower and thence down to winding-drums Y. At the front edge of this chute two spouts Q Q are formed. The front edge of the chute is slanted off toward these spouts, and theflauge m is formed upon these slanting edges, whereby the coal or other material is directedto the spouts. A valve Z is pivoted to the chute be,- tween the two spouts. This valve may be moved to close the mouth of either spout, and thus direct the material into the other spout. The front end of the chute is raised or lowered to give the chute the desired inclination. by means of a cable T, secured to said front edge and extending therefrom upward over the sheaves ti on top of the trestle-tower, and thence down to a winding-drum X A tubular spout Q may be pivoted to the outer end of each spout Q. The outer end of each spout Q is raised or lowered by means of the cables V, which may be secured on top of the trestle-tower, from which they pass around a sheave q on the spout Q, thence over the two sheaves v v on top of the trestle-tower, and then to the winding-drum V. These'spouts Q are curved down at their outer ends, whereby they properly direct the coal or other material into the holds of vessels or other receptacles provided.

The described construction is of great practical utilityin apparatuses which are used for transferring the contents of cars to the holds of vessels, because different vessels stand dilferent distances out of the water, and every vessel settles as the load is put in. The changing of the tide at points where the tide cbbs and flows will also cause a change in the relative position of the vessel and the apparatus; but by the construction described the chute may be placed in any proper position relative to the vessel, and then the cradle need be raised only high enough to dump the contents of the car into the chute.

\Veights \V may be utilized in assisting in the lifting and tipping of the cradle. Cables N are secured to and wound partly around the rings B and pass up and over the sheaves 'i, the weights being attached to the free ends of said cables.

The car in the cradle may be held upon the tracks by automatic clamping-bars K, which extend transversely over the car. These bars are tubular, and in each end of each bar is placed a ratchet-block K, which is movable out of said beam far enough to engage with the vertical rack-bars 7& which are secured to the cradle. These ratchet-blocks may be guided between the two plates 7;, as shown in Fig. 3.

K K represent two bell-crank levers which lie within the beam K and are pivoted thereto. The short vertical end of each lever is connected with one of the ratchet-blocks K. The

long ends of both levers are pivoted loosely to the vertically-movable bar k which projects upward out of the middle of said beam K, passing through a spring-box 7a. In this spring-box is a coil-spring k which exertsits force to move said bar downward, which movement transmitted through the levers K moves the ratchet-blocks outward. On the upper end of the rod 7: is an eye 70 to which a cable L is attached. This cable passes up over the sheaves Z P, and to the free end of this cable a small weight 1 is attached. These cables L are made of such length that just before the cradle reaches its lowest position these weights l will strike the lower sides of fixed brackets 11. Then, as the cradle continues to move down, the pull upon the rod is will first move levers K so as to draw the ratchet blocks inward, thus releasing the beam K, which beam is prevented from moving down farther with the cradle. It therefore under normal conditions stands above the top of the car, substantially as shown in Fig. 1. The weight of the beam K is very much greater than the weight of the small weight 1 Therefore when the cradle begins its upward movement it moves up to and meets the beam K, and then, as said beam is lifted, the ratchetblocks are permitted to move outward into engagement with the rackbars, whereby the car will be held up by said beam when the cradle is turned over.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In car-dumping machinery, the combination of a car-holding cradle having external rings, and means for holding a car in said cradle, with the cables D D which are secured to and wound partly around said rings and extend upward from one side thereof to over head sheaves, and thence to winding-drums, and the cables D D which are secured to said rings and extend upward from the opposite side thereof to overhead sheaves and thence to independent winding-drums, sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In car-dumping machinery, the combination of a car-holding cradle and means for raising it and turning it over, with horizontal beams in the cradle above the ear and adapted to engage with the top side thereof, on twardly-movable ratchet-blocks in the ends of said beams, and vertical rack-bars in the cradle with which said ratchet-blocks engage, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In car-dumping machinery, the combination of a car-holding cradle and means for raising it and turningit over, with a horizontal clamping-beam in the cradle above the car, outwardly-movable ratchet-blocks in the ends of said beam, a pair of bell-crank levers for moving said blocks, a spring-actuated rod connected with said levers, a cable secured to said rod and extending upward to an overhead sheave, a weight on its free end,a fixed bracket 12, and the vertical rack-bars in the cradle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In car-unloading machinery, the combination of the car-holding cradle, and means for raising and turning it over, with a plurality of horizontal clampingb'eams, ratchetblocks in the ends of said beams, spring-ac tuated automatic mechanism for moving said blocks outward when the cradle begins its upward movement, and automatic mechanism for drawing said blocks inward when said cradle reaches its lowest position, and vertical rack-bars in the cradle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In car-dumping machinery, the combination of an inclining chute movable bodily up and down whereby it may discharge at the same angle into holds of vessels or other receptacles at different elevations, with means for correspondingly raising a car and dumping its contents into said chute, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

0. In car-dumping machinery, the combination of a chute, cables secured to its rear .a car and dumping its contents into said sides and extending therefrom over overhead chute, substantially as and for the purpose 1c sheaves and thence to winding-drums, and a specified. cable secured to its front side and extending 5 therefrornoveran overheadsheaveandthence TIMOTHY LONG to a winding-drum, whereby the height and Witnesses: inclination of said chute may be adjusted, GEO. W. TIBBITTS, with mechanism for correspondingly raising MAX P. GOODMAN. 

